Am I Cooked or Cooking? My experience making "good soup"
- Nov 17, 2025
- 5 min read
I want to start by saying as I begin this exploration that I absolutely HATE cooking. Cooking is abstract, artistic while baking (big fan) is concrete and scientific (safe) if you will. While I do love being artsy and creative, it does not bode well when throwing together a dish off the cuff. Admittedly, this is new territory for me since my husband has mainly be the "chef" in the relationship since the beginning, but he is working full time/in school and I am "fun" employed, so roles have shifted therefore I have adjusted. While what I cook (usually) turns out to be edible, I really have made an effort to broaden my culinary skills in the past month or two. Lucky for me, it is Autumn which means soup season a.k.a throwing ingredients in a pot and stirring occasionally. Today I will be yapping through my rendition of Simply Scratch's Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup recipe. (Link: Creamy Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup - Simply Scratch)
Starting Simple: Get Your Ingredients
The first step in making this recipe is getting the right ingredients. Being in Belgium, they are going to slightly differ from the original recipe just based on availability of products here. This is what I added:
Vegetables: Variety of Bell Peppers, Onion, Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, and Spinach. I think the peppers added some substance to the soup since I excluded the carrots and celery from the traditional mirepoix (seen in other similar recipes).
Soup Base: Fond de Volaille, Heavy Cream, Tomato Sauce, and Butter. Fond de Volaille is basically just concentrated chicken stock. They don't sell broth like in the States, so I make do and the taste is basically the same.
Protein: Boulettes de Viande. Basically just little meatballs. The recipe calls for Italian Sausage, and that is the closest thing I could find. It actually worked better because you don't have to de-case the meat (Sensory ick of mine).
Seasoning: Salt, Pepper, Thyme, Oregano, Paprika, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder. This is basically how I season everything I make. Is it correct? Probably not. Do I care? Not really.
Best Part: Gnocchi (nyow-kee). In my opinion, what is soup without some sort of carb?
Sequential Soup making
My high school Home Economics teacher would hate to hear me say this, but my biggest mistake I made when first out on my own was that I would just prepare the ingredients of my recipe as I went. This CAN work if you know how to time manage and keep an eye on your food, but as a neurospicy person, I really shouldn't. This means cutting ALL the vegetables first, preparing your meat, and staging all the necessary ingredients BEFORE even touching your stovetop. I only recently learned from my many mistakes. #growth
Wash and Cut All Necessary Ingredients: I start with my veggies then move to my meat to avoid contaminating my produce with any potential food-borne illness carrying bacteria. For the love of all things good, please wash your produce. I will die on that hill.
Cook your Protein: Start at medium heat and wait until the pot is hot enough that a little splash of water rolls and evaporates then add your protein and cook thoroughly. I just cooked it in a Dutch oven and transferred to a plate when finished.
Sauté the Veggies: Add your peppers first and sauté until softened then add onion and sauté until translucent. This ensures that your vegetables aren't making your delicious creamy soup a crunchy texture. About 30 seconds before adding your soup base, add your garlic and stir until fragrant. This is why prepping beforehand is important!
Add Broth/Soup Base: Now is the time to add your soup base/liquids, spinach and seasoning.
Add Protein: Once the base has been incorporated together, add your cooked sausage back in and stir.
Simmer Slowly: I bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer. This slow cooking allows flavors to meld.
Add Gnocchi: Since gnocchi is such a soft pasta, I wait until absolutely the last 15 minutes to add the raw gnocchi. The kind I have is ready in 2-3 minutes if you boil it, so 15 minutes of simmering soup gets it to the perfect texture.
Season and Taste: Give her a little taste and add more seasoning as necessary.
This step-by-step approach helps me avoid common mistakes like burning garlic or undercooking the peppers.
Learning from Mistakes and Experimenting
There was one time my friend Myisha came over with her son, and I wanted to make Chili without looking at a recipe. This is how I knew she was a true friend because I forgot to add the tomato paste and sauce to the chili, so it basically just tasted like meat soup. It was so bad. Her and her son ate a whole bowl of that nasty meat soup and then THANKED me for dinner. Matt, my husband, did the same as well (bless them all). I say this story to remind you all (and myself) that it's okay to follow a recipe. Being a relatively good cook does not mean you never use a frame of reference. Put your ego aside and look up the dang recipe. Your guests will thank you later. LOL. (Sorry again My My)
Tips for Anyone Starting to Cook
If you want to try making soup, here are some practical tips from my experience:
Prep Ingredients First: Chop all vegetables and measure spices before you start cooking.
Use a Good Pot: Personally I prefer a Dutch oven when making soup.
Time: Let the soup cook slowly to develop flavor. Some soups are better as leftovers imo.
Taste Often: Adjust seasoning as you go to avoid bland results. Don't be afraid of some red pepper flakes or cayenne.
Keep It Simple: Start with the staples. I tend to do the same recipes on rotation and when I feel comfortable enough, I will improvise more each time.
Branching Out
Right now, my cooking exploration stops at Soup. It is getting colder here, I don't want to walk to the grocery store every day. Making soup yields enough for leftovers. Soup just fuels my soul during the holidays so no I don't really stray from the soup/stew path. Ask me when the sun sets after 5 pm again, maybe my answer will change.
Final Thoughts on Cooking and Growth
I still would much rather have Matt do the cooking, but I do appreciate the life skills I am gaining in this phase of our lives. It isn't enjoyable for everyone, but one thing that is for certain is you gotta eat. It is up to you how you fuel your body and I can't speak for others, but I would much rather be able to enjoy my meals.
This week's article isn't super creative or thought provoking, but I am glad I still wrote down something because it is better than the alternative which is mindlessly playing Animal Crossing all day and spiraling into a black hole of poor inner dialogue. If you were to get anything out of this week's blog, I hope it is to try something you have sworn off previously. Maybe you will discover something new about yourself. Until next time, I love you byeeee.
OVERALL RATING: 8/10 - Easy, Good Flavor, Solid Texture
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